On the Prowl in Hays County

 Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.

~ Gary Snyder

Texas Spiny Lizard guarded the caliche road.

The invitation arrived by email - "come hike with us." It was ostensibly a birding trip - the 2018 Birdathon in Hays County - and, while the invite went out to hundreds of folks, I knew DH and I were meant to go.  We are terrible birders (I believe the kinder word is "novices"). However, our skills are improving (I did recognize those Indigo Buntings a week ago*) and we continue to listen and read and hike with experienced birders. So this would be perfect - our first organized birding trip of the spring - and part of it would be at the property of a long-time friend, SJ.** I signed us up.

We knew it was going to be a wonderful day as we drove the winding FM 150 through this section of Hays County. A Cardinal flashed red before us.  A Red-shouldered Hawk surveyed the landscape from its perch on a telephone pole. I was dangerously distracted by the wildflowers already - sage, foxglove, firewheels, and so many others. And the milkweed! It is a very good year for milkweed in this area as plants dot the ditches. I knew I would be dividing my attention between the birds and the plants and hoping the red bugs would leave me alone this trip.

Eleven birders*** met in the parking lot at Charro Ranch Park**** and we headed down and around the trails. This is a treasure of a park! It is beautifully maintained the perfect spot for early morning birding. The Painted Buntings and Summer Tanagers greeted us early on. A Golden-cheeked Warbler flirted with us from the junipers. We later headed to our friend's place where we hiked around the pond and along the creek...and then we feasted...

For DH and me it was a day of firsts - including porcupines! I lost track of the times I said, "I have never seen this before."

Writing about these few hours has been a struggle - how do I describe this experience? We were filled with the sights and sounds of an April morning in the wild and with the companionship of like minded people.

These experienced naturalists shared their love of the wild and their curiosity with us. People of sharp vision (to spot the porcupine hiding high in a tree and the tiny milkweed vine hidden among the spring growth) they dedicate time to the wild in many ways (it was inspiring to hear stories of bird rescue and banding and thoughtful property management). Their ears were attuned to bird calls and questions from the novice. Our experience with them in these few hours was amazing.

So, there you go. For me this is pretty speechless. I will leave you with my bad cell photos in some attempt to share the day. If others contribute photos I'll add them:

Charro Ranch

There were birds, but too far to see here. It's hard not to love a field of wildflowers.

Part of the group. MW is pointing out a bird.

There were binoculars, cameras, and spotting scopes wielded by people who knew how to use them.

"Where did you hear the bird?"

The place could not have been any lovelier or weather better.

The trail signs had peace symbols on them. Now I understand - they were directing us here.

This "Solstice Circle" marks those events. I suppose I know where I'll be for one in the next year.*****

The arm pointing eastward

I was rarely the last one. At least two of us were "working" iNaturalist.

Nature will-out. This "rotten" limestone created a perfect planting pocket.

Yes, porcupines climb trees. This was the first of two. [It makes you wonder how many look down on us as we lumber by.]

Thanks to Mark Wilson for guiding us and sharing this photo of the porcupine (all rights reserved).

Old rock walls leave me with so many questions...

 Jandarosa

My friend's property is a sanctuary of oaks, juniper, madrone, laurel, grasses, wildflowers.... We hiked the edges of  the pond and creek and noted the signs of coyote and deer as well as enjoying the birds keeping us company along the way. Then another porcupine was noticed high in a tree.

Look hard. What a perfect yard - cactus, a variety of native grasses, and milkweed! [Note the protective wooden fencing. There were a number of spots where native plantings were protected from predation - and sometime clumsy visitors.]

Our only Monarch caterpillar (I saw three butterflies - others may have seen more).

Check out this feeder!

The creek.

Ah. This is why we don't notice the porcupines.

Before long it was time for lunch so we gathered on the deck and ate (a feast) and talked. Then someone said, "Golden-cheeked Warbler." We all heard it. It called again and again until someone located it. Our host shared that this was the first GCW he had observed on his property. Another first!

The bird flew and so did we.

Okay. Maybe I was the last hiker a few times.

NOTES:

*Of course there were almost 20 of them and they are this crazy blue that not even I could miss.

** Our mothers were best friends from the first grade onward. In a way we grew up together - visiting frequently when our mothers got together. They are six and we were four. Regular readers here may remember some of these stories from adventures on the Frio River.

***We had Texas Master Naturalists from three local chapters - Hays County, Capital Area, and Good Water. There was history of running in the wild - former Boy and Girl Scouts and one Campfire Girl. They were Audubon members, Native Plant Society folks, and more. And many of these folks own/manage/maintain properties devoted to the wild. Mother had banded birds in the 80s with some of these folks. Kindred spirits all.

****http://www.cityofdrippingsprings.com/page/parks_charro

*****I cannot seem to win the drawing for the winter solstice at Bru na Boinne (http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/bru-na-boinne/) so I'll just try this spot so much closer to home.

The Master list at eBird: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45005406

My post and observations on iNaturalist:  https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/alflinn329/15924-birding-trip-in-hayes-county

Heading home DH and I joked about all the adventures we have had down caliche roads.

FINAL NOTES: Milkweed and bugs (it's a sickness - blame it on biology class bug collections) and blooms. I'm putting these at the end where I can find them and the disinterested can easily skip them. I'll never know.

"Common" flowers and insects are not really so common.

We saw hundreds of Antelope Horns Milkweed plants. Many blooms were open.

Some buds had not opened.

There were many insects present - from Large Milkweed Bug to aphids (and one scary guy that was new to me).

Yellow Flax

A creepy true bug - Apiomerus spissipes -

Convergent Ladybeetle (with aphids all around)

False Dandelion/Texas dandelion (Pyrrhopappus pauciflorus)

Some of these Large Milkweed Bugs are pale and almost blend into the flowers.

Another Milkweed - Narrowleaf Milkweed

Puffball (I thought it was a white basketflower, but no).

Katydid

Last LMB trying to hide amid the buds

I almost forgot. Yes, the bluebonnets were here - going to seed. I'm fond of bluebonnets. They have a place, just not every place. And I do love to see blue and yellow flowers growing together.